Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 February 2017 Matthew 26:39.

15 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 26:39.   And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Welcome, welcome, my fellow believers to another glorious day in the annals of History! There are brand new strands of grace, mercies and lots of other good things to enjoy, courtesy of our wonderful God Jehovah! 

So let’s gratefully acknowledge and accept them like the psalmist did nuh, by declaring: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) 

And that’s the way it should be my people, because that’s how our magnanimous and omnipotent God planned it. Any believer that does not rejoice and be glad in God’s day is not worth his salt, or the name of believer. 

Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster to titillate our senses. (smile) It says: ‘When fate shuts a door, come in through the window.’  The problem with that though, is suppose God shuts the door, then going in through the window might cause serious problems. 

But generally speaking, I believe they mean don’t give up, to keep on trying, for one never knows when your number will play, it’s always the darkest before the dawn, and that sort of thing. 

And we’ll get to our Bit right away. ‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ 

Yes friends, Jesus’ soul was in agony, just like ours would be if we knew the horrific kind of death that was waiting for us in another few hours. It’s sad, that after praying our Bit, Jesus came back to His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter: ‘What could ye not watch with me one hour? 

Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done. 

And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.’ (Matt.26:40-44) 

So friends, we can see that Jesus prayed three times that the cup of death, that His horrific crucifixion could be nixed, although deep down He knew it could not be set aside, because that was the Father’s will. Nonetheless, he still experienced agonizing moments. 

The gospel of Luke reports it thus: ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44) 

Yes precious people, Jesus shook it real rough that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, so much so that the Lord sent an angel to strengthen Him. 

The scholars explain those two verses thus: ’22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch. 

Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish.’ 

So yuh see mih people, the anguish and agony Jesus bore for us, so that we could be set free from the slavish hold that sin had on us. Now how can we not be eternally grateful to Him eh? 

I really don’t know nuh, but too many people write Him off as a fake, as a fraud, and foolishly look to the evil Lucifer for pleasure. However they don’t realize that the pleasures of this world only last for a short time, then comes the judgement. 

And we’ll close with one more instance of how Jesus shows the great importance of doing the Father’s will. This came on an occasion where He was teaching, surrounded by a crowd of people, when His brothers and mother came to talk to Him. 

‘And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek (are outside seeking) for thee. And He looked round about at them which sat (in a circle) about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.’ (Mark 3:32-35) 

Now that might sound a bit harsh to some, but to Jesus, the Father’s will overruled everything else, regardless of who was involved. May we also feel the same way, as we go home declaring our Wednesday Wail with mucho passion and heartfelt truth. 

‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Oh friends, that’s the ultimate in life! Let’s not allow it to slip away from us, for worthless earthly pleasures. Much LOVE!

…the pleasures of earth are short-lived…but those of heaven are eternal…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 December 2015 Luke 2:33‏

29 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 2:33.  And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. 

Well mih people, at long last we got a taste of the white stuff. Last evening a blanket of snow finally covered my neighbourhood. This morning around 3 o’clock, before I went to bed, I opened my front door and it was just a pretty picture as you can get of an all white scene, before man defiles it. 

However, a while ago, when I went to put out the garbage, most of it had already melted and instead the rain was falling. So the purists who did not get their white Christmas are also in danger of not getting a white New Year’s either, if these warm and above seasonal temperatures persist. 

The man I pay to clean the snow from my driveway won’t be working today either. He’s still collecting money under false pretenses. But I guess them’s the breaks. (smile) 

And as you can see above, I went to bed late, hence the abnormally late Bit. My intense and sincere apologies, but the ole fella is really a creature of the night, and going to bed early is sometimes difficult. (smile) 

Anyway, it’s a festive Tuesday in the Christmas season, so let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra like we really mean it nuh. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. 

I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ And is all of that is ever so true my fellow believers in Christ! 

Yes friends, we’re not defined by what we have or do! Our identity is found in being the children of God: His beloved offspring, in whom He is well pleased! We are also Jesus’ close Friend and confidant. That’s who we are! So let’s stop defining ourselves by our material possessions and worldly positions nuh. Nuff said! 

And I’m sure some of you must be wondering how I got on this Mother Mary kick. But there’s no rocket science behind it. It’s just that over the last couple of years, as I delve deeper into the Good Book, I’ve come to LOVE and appreciate Mary. 

So much so, that I’ve come to believe that she is the one who most understood Jesus, also the one who had the truest and strongest faith in the Good Book, after Jesus Himself. We all know the miraculous things she went through at a tender age, but her faith never wavered. In fact I believe it got stronger. 

As the saying goes, she became a mother, while still a child. And yuh better believe my brethren that motherhood is the hardest job in the world, as most mothers would agree, because there are no real instructions on how to do it, especially if you have several children, all with different personalities and needs, as Mary no doubt had. 

And one of the reasons she knew Jesus best, besides the mother and son angle, is that she had the best idea of what His mission was all about, having participated in His miraculous birth and hearing all the magnificent things that were said about Him from his very birth. As we saw yesterday, all those things she kept note of them in her heart and sincerely pondered them. 

My favourite story about Mary and Jesus though is the one at the wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle; the making of wine from water. I just LOVE the way she handled Him. 

As reported by John, they had run out of wine at the wedding and Mary came and shared that fact with Jesus. ‘Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee (what concern is that of mine)?’ (John 2:4) 

Mary must have chuckled and said to herself: ‘So you think you’re a big man now eh, with your biggish answers? Well just look out for me and you today.’ Then she put her motherly and feminine wiles, her devious plan to work. 

‘His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.’ (John 2:5) Then she flounced off and left Him. Hn, hn!‘ Typical woman and mother eh. 

‘And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after (according to) the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.’ (John 2:6) 

Now here is some important info from the scholars on that verse. ‘2:6. Waterpots were normally used for washing feet. Firkins were about nine gallons, so each pot held 18 to 27 gallons (total capacity: 108 to 162 gallons).’ 

So friends, these must have been some rather big waterpots. Then ‘Jesus saith unto them (the servants), Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. (That means roughly 162 gallons). And he saith unto them, Draw (some) out now, and bear it unto (take it to) the governor (master) of the feast. And they bare it.’ (John 2:7-8) 

What a bam-bam that caused friends! For when the master of the feast tasted the wine that had been made from the water, and didn’t know where it had come from (though the servants knew), he called the bridegroom and admonished him. 

‘Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse (inferior): but thou hast kept the good wine until now.’ (John 2:10) The poor bridegroom must have been at a loss to know what the master of the feast was talking about. 

But here is some more info from the scholars re that wine. ‘2.9. Much has been written about the wine Jesus created. Oinos is the New Testament word for the fruit of the vine, but it implies nothing concerning fermentation. Whatever Jesus re-creates (water) is better than it was and better than man can make it (fermented wine).’ 

For sure friends! That was probably, no, not probably, but the best wine ever made and drunk in this world! I would have LOVED to taste it! (smile) So you see my people, Mary indeed had more knowledge of Jesus’ capabilities than anyone else. 

And the Good Book afterwards, comments thus on the situation. ‘This beginning of miracles (signs) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth (revealed) his glory; and his disciples believed on him.’ (John 2:11) 

I guess the disciples had no choice but to believe, after they witnessed such an outstanding event. But deep down inside, because of her natural maternal instincts, plus all the unexpected and unusual things she had experienced during His growing up, His mother Mary knew what He was capable of. 

And we’ll end on that note today. It gives us stuff to keep in our hearts and to ponder on, just like Mary. Much LOVE!

…oftimes…because of the normally close relationship and the natural maternal instinct… a mother has the best knowledge of her child…

 

 

 
 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2013 Exodus 20:12

12 May 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exodus 20:12.     Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
 
HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY!

Oh Friends, on this comparatively chilly Sunday morning in May, where we’ve gone from highs of twenty odd last week, to highs of around ten this weekend, with rain in the forecast, a lot of Mother’s Day celebrations will have to be brought inside. But nonetheless, we wish each and every mother a joyous and happy Mother’s Day! It’s unfortunate that we only set aside one day every year to celebrate Motherhood, when in fact it should be celebrated every day, in view of their very valuable contribution to society. Do you realize that once a woman becomes a mother, she never has a real day off, because she’s always concerned about something in her family, be they old or young. And sadly too, like so many other festive occasions, Mother’s Day has become more of a commercial undertaking than a true emotional celebration. But regardless of all the negative aspects that have crept into the day, all mothers should be celebrated, whether they are good, bad or indifferent. And that’s the outspoken and provocative dictate of Almighty God, our Creator and Controller! Our Bit states it in no uncertain terms. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ Yuh see my brethren, honouring one’s parents was so important to our great and wise God that He made it one of the rules, one of the Ten Commandments He gave to the Israelites when He made them His chosen people. So giving mothers honour and respect should not depend on their individual qualities, but on the blanket command of our God. And really Friends, which member of all societies is truly the most important eh? Without a doubt it’s Mothers! For they carry us in their womb for nine months, imagine the discomfort nuh, all the time still working and keeping the home. Then consider the pain and agony of childbirth. No pain in this world can be as excruciating as that. That’s what mothers say, and I won’t doubt them. I’m just glad I don’t have to experience it. (smile) But yuh know what? After all that pain and anguish, when they think that their nether regions will be torn apart, they embrace the young one with such LOVE and joy, it’s unbelievable. And then, the many years they spend guiding the young, nurturing them physically, mentally and emotionally, having to put up with a lot of negative behaviour from the same ones they’re trying to raise and help. That reminds me of our behaviour with our LOVING God. And nowadays, in these rough economic times, many mothers are forced to go out to work, while still bearing the responsibility of looking after her husband, children and home. And yuh tell me they’re not worth much more LOVE and affection than we show! One day a year can never recompense them for all the LOVE, pain, heartache, neglect and abuse they suffer from the very ones they LOVE and care about. No wonder the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites once again in Leviticus: ‘Ye shall fear (revere) every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.’ (Lev.19:3) Yes Friends, our parents are God’s representatives here on earth, so just as we revere the Lord, we ought to hold our parents in great reverence. And I know that there are many unworthy parents out their in our evil and troubled world, but the quality of parenting doesn’t really matter in the larger scheme of things, for they are all human and thus fallen and liable to make mistakes. The Lord however says to respect them, simply because they are your parents. And if you’re a believer, then you ought to do just that, whether or not their parental efforts deserve it. And it’s also very unfortunate that mothers bear the brunt of scorn and negative recognition in most societies, almost all of which are patriarchal, with the father figure holding enormous sway. But wise fathers know the real power behind their thrones, the mothers! For without them, family life would suffer even more than it’s doing now, because they are the cornerstones of the family, the ones who hold it together despite all the negative factors. There’s no doubt also that women are the stronger of the sexes, for men, with all their machismo and strong, well sculpted bodies could never do all the jobs that mothers do without whining and complaining every step of the way. I appreciate mothers, but sure am glad that I’m not one. (smile) And Molls baby, I haven’t forgotten you sugar. This is the second Mother’s Day that I’m without you, but you know you’re always right here in the centre of my heart, you and God. How could I ever forget you eh, after all that you’ve done for me? NEVER! NO WAY! I miss the good times we use to have, and the way I could come to you with any problem and you wouldn’t put me down, even though I was wrong. Above all, you showed me real unconditional LOVE in action. I know you never took an easy step in your life, and sometimes I didn’t understand what was happening, but you never complained, just did what you had to do. And your LOVE for the Lord enabled you to make it through those many rough spots in your life. You showed me the way a true mother ought to behave, though I didn’t always agree with you. And for that I will be forever thankful. I know that one day we’ll meet again, when there’ll be no tears, no pain, no sorrow, just joy and gladness in worshipping the Lord. Till then, I’ll do my best to be worthy of your LOVE and upbringing. Now Friends, let’s end this Mother’s Day Bit with appropriate advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.’ (Eph.6:1-3) That’s the ultimate in wisdom my people! So let’s honour our parents, especially our mothers today. The Lord will look upon us with favour for doing that. Much LOVE!…a mother is the closest thing to God on earth…conceiving, bearing, birthing, nurturing, guiding, providing, caring, LOVING…etc, etc…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2012 Psalm 113:9

13 May 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 113:9.    He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

 HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY!

Yes Friends, in this troubled year of 2012, we should all be praising the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward us! And on this most significant Mother’s Day of my life, I want to wish all you mothers out there on God’s great earth a happy Mother’s Day! Most of you definitely deserve it. And this Mother’s Day is significant to me because it’s the first one I’m experiencing without my biological mother. Oh Mols sugar, the ole fella misses you today, and the tears are welling up in my eyes as I write this, remembering all the good times we spent together. But I know that you are in a much better place now, no more pain and suffering, and you know all I ever wanted was your happiness, for like so many mothers, especially the single ones, you never took an easy step in your life, but it never made you bitter or resentful. Instead, you were always full of joy and good cheer. You also showed me by example how to live a good Christian life. And for that I’ll forever be grateful ‘M’. Sorry about that short break Friends, but the tears began flowing uncontrollably for a moment. It’s strange, for though I miss my mother, and still talk to her every day, I haven’t cried over her in months. I guess the many good Mother’s Day memories just stirred up the dormant emotions. But enough of my sentimentality, let’s get on with writing the Bit. (smile) Ah Friends, mothers are the most important people in our lives. They physically carry us in their wombs for nine months, then experience excruciating pain to birth us, then spend the best years of their lives nurturing and guiding us. Wow! What towers of strength! They are also the ones who usually form our character by their teaching and everyday example. Chuh! Stop it nuh tears! They want to flow again as I remember the excellent teaching and example my mother Molly set me. Unfortunately it was only late in life, after hearing some horrendous stories about other mothers, that I realized she was amongst the best mothers in the world. Oh my brethren, I have so many examples of her unconditional LOVE and wise guidance, some of which I never took, and afterwards paid a hefty price. She was never loud and ignorant with me, but I could always tell when she was displeased, and in my time, I sure felt the rod, in my case, the strap of correction, which undoubtedly made me a better person today. The Good Book says God is LOVE, and it seems that He put a greater portion in mothers then in fathers, for they are usually the catalyst, the binding thread that keeps families together. Where there are strong, LOVING mothers, there are strong, LOVING families! Some believe that because Eve was the originator of sin, the Lord placed the arduous task of child bearing and rearing on her and her fellow women. But even if that’s so, He also gave her the parts to bear her earthly burden, just as He does for each of us. (1 Cor.10:13) The sad part of the story though is that just as mothers can be good examples, they can also be bad ones, and I want to share a couple scriptures about mothers that caught my attention. The first one is about Deborah, the prophetess, who once judged Israel. In her time she brought peace and security to Israel after she and Barak defeated their enemies. And in her joyful song of praise, she astutely declares: ‘The inhabitants of the villages ceased (village life ceased), they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.’ (Judg.5:7) No better description of nurturing and guidance beside ‘MOTHER’ can be found in any language. Now let’s introduce our Bit for today: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ There is indeed method to our God’s seeming madness my people! Look at all the supposed barren women, from Sarah onward, who through faith, prayer and trust in Almighty God, eventually became wonderful mothers. One of the best examples of that is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. She cried out to God in her barren state, and promised to dedicate any offspring to the Lord. The Lord in His LOVING-kindness blessed her with Samuel, and she kept her vow and gave Him to be the Lord’s servant at an early age. (1 Sam:2) Unfortunately though, we also have mothers like Athaliah, whose son, Ahaziah, ruled Judah for a time. Hear how the Good Book refers to her: ‘He (Ahaziah) also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.’ (2 Chr.22:3) How sad it is when a mother can actively encourage her children to do evil. But that’s the nature of the beast; some are good and some are bad. Let’s just hope that overall, we get more good apples than rotten ones. Oh Friends, on this Mother’s Day, please, let’s all honour and show LOVE to our Mothers, in spite of their shortcomings, for they are human just like the rest of us, and thus liable to make mistakes. And  anyway that’s a God-given commandment, not a mere suggestion of mine. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex.20:12) So regardless of how or what our parents turn out to be, it’s our bounden duty to honour, LOVE, and cherish them! My Friends, let’s seriously and actively live that commandment  from today onward nuh. Much LOVE!…a mother’s job…is to be the bedrock…the backbone of the family…  P.S. Sorry this is so late Friends, but I went to church and it took about two and a half hours, which I’m not accustomed to. But it was indeed time well spent, the congregation was very welcoming, and I enjoyed the refreshing sense of worship in a West Indian congregation that I haven’t experienced in a long while. Took me back to my boyhood days in Tobago. Much LOVE!